Contract to realign West Jackson-Highway 99 intersection approved

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved today a construction contract to realign and update an oft-used intersection outside Ashland.

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved today a construction contract to realign and update an oft-used intersection outside Ashland.

The $448,750 construction project, awarded to Medford-based-KOGAP Enterprises Inc., will modify the intersection of West Jackson Road, Highway 99 and Valley View Road, near Exit 19 off Interstate 5. The section of West Jackson Road will be realigned with Valley View, and the intersection will be modified to become a traditional four-way intersection with traffic signals.

The project is designed to boost safety at the intersection, which has no designated crosswalks, but still sees a sizable amount of traffic. Business and property owners have said the makeover also will boost traffic to nearby businesses.

"It's a good project," Commissioner John Rachor said at the meeting.

The complete cost of the project, including construction, engineering costs, right-of-way purchase and fees, will be somewhere between $800,000 and $850,000, county officials said. A county-secured revenue bond will finance the project. A local improvement district will pay the costs back to the county by collecting twice-yearly payments from adjacent property owners over a 15-year period.

KOGAP was one of six contractors to submit a bid proposal, coming in with the lowest cost estimate. County officials expect construction to commence sometime in the spring.

— Ryan Pfeil

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